She didn’t finish in the top two in the Sprint Showdown qualifying race, but at least she didn’t need what was dubbed the “Danica Rule” as she finished on the lead lap in ninth and then advanced to the main event Saturday night thanks to the online fan voting.

“Obviously first and very foremost thank you to all the fans who voted for me or voted so many times for me,” Patrick said.

“I’m fortunate to have the fan base that I do and I never forget that. … It’s a big honor.”

In February, NASCAR announced that a driver would have to finish on the lead lap to advance with the fan vote. Then earlier this week, NASCAR said that was a mistake, that no lead-lap finish was required but the car did have to be in raceable condition.

That made fans dub it the “Danica Rule” considering some of her struggles this year.

In reality, very few drivers finish the Sprint Showdown a lap down if they are still running at the end of the event.

Patrick was easily able to stay on the lead lap. She said she wasn’t going to try anything desperate in the Showdown knowing that her fans are quite passionate.

She even had a “Thanks Fans” sticker to put on her car.

“I’m going to race for the fans tonight,” she said. “I got done with that race and honestly I feel really fired up.

“I wanted to make passes and make my way up and do what I could to get into those first two positions and didn’t do that. I feel like I owe it to them to put on a better show in the all-star race.”

Those among the top-five in the vote but not winning, in alphabetical order, were Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Martin Truex Jr.

Stenhouse advanced to the main event by finishing second in the Showdown.